European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday May 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 25 Boston confident Garden can slow speedy Edmonton Stanley cup finals by Howard Ulman Boston apr for the Swift skating Edmonton oilers the bigger the rink the better. More ice Means More room to make plays and outrage opponents. Welcome to Boston Garden one of the no la a smallest surfaces. Its been nearly six weeks since the Bruins lost there a a r that a the site of the first two games of the Best-of-7 Stanley cup finals tonight and Friday. A we feel really solid at Home a Boston defens Eman Garry Galley said. A we have no reason not to feel solid at Home. It does no to mean we just throw on the sweaters and go out there and win because the reason we be been winning is because of hard besides the oilers Are coming off an impressive series in which they proved they could thrive on a Small rink. In their 4-2 Triumph Over the Blackhawk for the Campbell conference title the oilers were 2-1 in Chicago capped by an 8-4 rout in saturday nights deciding game. The Chicago stadium rink is 185 feet by 85 feet while Bostons is 191 by 83. Edmonton a North lands coliseum ice is 200 by 85. The smaller ice Isnit a a major Factor a Boston coach Mike Milbury said. A a it a a Little More confining but the oilers will get but the Bruins who had the no la a Best record and defense Are better than Chicago and Are brimming with Confidence at Home. A a that a Fine a said Mark Messier the Edmonton Captain of the oilers underdog role. A a Bostons a obviously going to be favored. They had a great year. We know we be got our hands since losing their first playoff game there april 5 to Hartford they have won All eight Home games. That includes wins in the first two games of both series against Montreal and Washington. A a we be been Able to put teams right behind the eight Ball right off the Bat a Boston Captain Ray Bourque said. A that certainly is a plus especially playing so Well on the Road. We be been Able to go into the third game and really get them Down 3-zip in the last two Bostons 23-12-5 Road record was the leagues Best. It had the sixth Best Home Mark of 23-13-4. But Edmonton a 15-178 Road record was the no la a fifth Best. The two teams last met in the playoffs in 1988, when Edmonton swept the Bruins in four games in the Stanley cup finals. But Over the past two seasons the oilers Are wingless against Boston. They were 0-2-1 this season and 0-3 last season although they have improved since the teams last met on nov. 9. Unlike 1988, the Bruins Are consid an sports television hockey a Stanley cup finals Edmonton at Boston 1 30 . Wednesday. Finals schedule tonight a game Edmonton at Boston fridays game Edmonton at Boston sundays game Boston at Edmonton tuesday May 22 Boston at Edmonton thursday May 24 Edmonton at Boston if necessary saturday May 26 Boston at Edmonton if necessary tuesday May 29 Edmonton at Boston if necessary ered the favourites to win their first nil title since 1972 and first in their five trips since then. A the Bruins Are a better skating team than they used to be a Edmonton defens Eman Kevin Lowe said. A they have More a Boston is very healthy a said current Oiler and former Bruin Craig Mactavish a and they Are sitting at Home the Bruins completed a four game sweep of Washington for the Wales conference championship last wednesday night and took the next two Days off. Edmonton a series with Chicago ended saturday night. The oilers primary task will be to Stop the line of Brian Propp Craig Jan Ney and Cam Neely. Boston will focus on Messier the leading playoff scorer. A a he a got terrific Speed and can break away at a moments notice a Milbury said of Messier. A we can to give him time with the puck in order to find someone coming in later to pass to. And Messier son a Mission. A we started the year out pretty unsure about what was going to happen. We be made great strides to get to this Point. We have a meeting every year that our goal is the Stanley cup. We Don t feel satisfied by any Means a he said. The Bruins allowed 232 goals fewest in the league. In the last five playoff games they be Given up seven Goa s. Goalie Andy Moog played the last 10 Eames and the Bruins Are 9-1. They done to plan a major overhaul against a team with a More free Wheeling style than their previous playoff opponents. ,. A there Are certain things we 11 have to adjust to a Bourque said. A but we be been playing Good hockey. A hopefully have to adjust to us More Boston Garden limits the stretch of top playoff scorer Mark Messier of Edmonton Edmonton a Back but Bostons better by John Kreiser a sports writer they re Back. The Edmonton oilers one of the no la a two dynasties of the 1980s, Are four wins away from beginning the �?T90s with their fifth Stanley cup in seven years. The opposition is familiar too a the oilers beat the Boston Bruins in the 1988 finals for their fourth Stanley cup in five years. But this time the Bruins May have the advantage. They have the Home ice Edge and playing four games in relatively Small Boston Garden wont help the free skating oilers. Nor will the absence of Wayne Gretzky who shredded the Bruins two years ago. Here a a preview of the finals which begin tonight. Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 Are at the Boston Garden games 3, 4 and 6 arc at Edmonton. Boston 46-25-9 is. Edmonton 38-28-14 a season series a Bruins 2-0-1 1-0-0 at Boston 1-0-1 at Edmonton. The teams have not met since the Bruins 6-2 win at Boston Garden nov. 9. A playoff history a oilers Lead 1-0. A last meeting a 1988, oilers swept series 4-0. A How they got there a Bruins outlasted Hartford in seven games beat Montreal in five to win the Adams division then swept Washington in four for the Wales conference title oilers rallied from 3-1 deficit to beat Winnipeg swept los Angeles in four games to win the smythe division and rallied to beat Chicago in six to take the Campbell conference. A Bruins Outlook a Boston the regular season Winner is on a Roll. Andy Moog who would love to get his fourth Stanley cup ring by beating his old team allowed Only six goals in the sweep of Washington. The oilers have no one to match Ray Bourque on defense he makes the Power play go and anchors the penalty killers 55 for 60 in the first three rounds. C Craig Janney and re Cam Neely Are the heart of a Well balanced offence 15 goals. 46 Points. A oilers Outlook a the oilers Are Mark Messier s team now. He provides leadership and scoring playoff leading 26 Points in 17 games. Bill ran Ford. Acquired two years ago in the Deal that sent Moog to Boston has played so Well in goal that Grant Fuhr has hardly been missed. Craig Simpson 1 2 goals has atoned for a mediocre regular season. His six Power play goals Are one More than Boston has allowed. A key matchup a Moog is. Ran Ford. They be been the hottest goalies in the playoffs and each wants to prow something to his former team. A injuries a Bruins will be with out Rookie Law Bob Beers who sustained a broken leg in the clincher against Washington oilers Haven to had i Uhi shoulder throughout the playoffs. A by the numbers a Edmonton is 9-21-5 lifetime against the Bruins their worst regular season Mark against any team since joining the nil in 1979. Boston is 8-7-3 at the North lands coliseum the Only visiting team with a winning record in regular season play. A not in the Box score Moog allowed six goals in three games against his former team this season and got the easiest shutout of the season when he faced Only i i shots in 3-0 Victory at Edmonton oct. 20. A prediction a revenge is always Sweet and the Bruins who appeared somewhat in Awe of the oilers two years ago will avenge the 1988 sweep. There a no Gret by this time. Bruins in 7. i of one Drums Are cuu Aiu . A a a eager to to Bruins Happy to get it started w Galley. Luckier. A Boston is the no. 1 team Overall. 1 hey to by Frederick Waterman Boston up a it is not who they Are playing but when they Are playing the Stanley cup final that pleases the Boston Bruins. A a _ if Edmonton had not won the Campbell conference title on saturday night the Bruins would have had to wait until Friday for game 1 of the final. Instead the Best of seven series begins tonight sparing Boston a nine Day Gap Between games. A a a that extra three Days would have been brutal said Bostons Ray Bourque. A you can Only enjoy practising so much at this time of the a if you have too Many Days off your head gets out of it a said teammate Garry Galley. The Bruins have been Idle since wednesday when they completed their sweep of Washington in the Wales conference final. A a a a we re Happy we Don t have to wait five Days Boston coach Mike Milbury said after sundays practice a that would have been what a terrible for Edmonton is the Bruins Success at Home they lost their Home playoff opener to Hartford then won their next eight games at Boston Garden where the smaller rink rewards the better Check Quot a a Ltd irbe difficult a said Edmonton coach John luckier. A Boston is the no. 1 team Overall. They won the Jennings trophy. They have Raymond Bourque who is probably the Best defens Eman in the National hockey league and Craig Janney and a great goal scorer by the name of Cam Neely. I hey Cheek very Well. They Pride themselves on being a defensive hockey luckier said that Edmonton a just completed series against Chicago would help condition the oilers Lor the style played in Boston Garden. A we played three games in the Chicago building and that prepared us i think somewhat for Boston luckier said
